2018 Jeep Cherokee
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 686 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 8th highest complaint count among 12 Cherokee model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 11 involved a crash and 5 involved a fire. 7 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Power trainApr 29, 2025
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The power transfer unit (PTU) may become damaged and disengage the transmission and differential, resulting in a loss of drive power and/or loss of park function.
A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. A loss of park function can cause an unintended vehicle rollaway, which can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will update the drivetrain control module and PTU software and replace the PTU, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning February 19, 2026. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 01C.
Campaign 25V011000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, wiring, front underhoodAug 9, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.
A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
Campaign 18V524000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, axle assembly, axle shaftJul 26, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Cherokee all-wheel-drive vehicles. The bearing cage for the right front halfshaft assembly may not have been properly heat treated, possibly resulting in the bearing cage breaking and a potential halfshaft assembly failure.
If the halfshaft bearing cage breaks, the halfshaft may not be able to transmit engine power, causing a loss of drive or it can allow the vehicle to move while in the "Park" position. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front right halfshaft assemblies, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U78.
Campaign 18V494000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, wiringMay 17, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
Campaign 18V332000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsMay 1, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with a 2.4L engine. These vehicles may have been manufactured with a fuel tube that may leak fuel into the engine compartment.
A fuel leak in the presence of the ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel tube, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U39.
Campaign 18V282000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engineOct 24, 2017
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Cherokee and Compass vehicles equipped with 2.4L engines. The engines may have a cracked oil pump housing that can result in oil pump failure.
If the oil pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the oil pump, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 5, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T65.
Campaign 17V670000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, other, labelsAug 31, 2017
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The tire and rim size information required to be on the Certification label was omitted during manufacturing, which may result in an incorrect tire and rim combination being installed on the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
The missing tire and rim designation information may lead to an incorrect combination being installed on the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners and will provide a corrected certification label, free of charge. The recall began October 13, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T53.
Campaign 17V543000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
686 reports, newest first.
Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 19, 2022
Start/Stop System - As I was pulling out of a parking lot I stopped and then needed to get a quick insert into traffic. As I started to accelerate the system shutdown and sputtered before starting again, needless to say I was almost rammed by traffic. This happened two times on the same day I was almost hit because of the Off/sputter/restart sequence.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jan 8, 2022
My Jeep Cherokee with only 43,000 started to randomly give me error messages that says "service shifter". This has happened multiple times when I am driving and all my lights on the shifter light up red and I am unable to determine what gear I am in. I have to stop driving turn my engine off and back on to get this to correct itself. In addition, one day I was driving and all of my headlights flickered and all of my dashboard lights went out for 5 seconds then came back on. My battery has died twice now recently and there was nothing left on. Due to these issues and the fact that I do not have a check engine light on, I called Jeep to see if there have been any recalls or other complaints, I was informed that there have not been. I have been doing some research online to find multiple forums where people with 2018 are having the exact same issue. This is posing a safety risk and I would like to see what steps can be taken since I am not the only one.
Other or unspecified, Dec 21, 2021
Myself along with several other that I have researched have been having problems with SHIFT SERVICE on our jeep Cherokee cars
Electrical system, Dec 21, 2021
Service shifter error
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Dec 20, 2021
service shifter warning light and It seems like it's happening to a lot of jeep. I believe it should be a recall.
Engine, Dec 14, 2021
This vehicle is a 2018 jeep with 37700 miles on it. When driving the recently it would stall in traffic. Then it was difficult to restart for a few minutes then it would start again. But yesterday it stalled in city traffic and wouldnt restart. No error message on the dashboard. So i had to have it towed to the dealer. The dealers early assessment is that their significant oil loss in the engine. The engine appears to be damaged now. From the recent oil leak. Dealer stated its not from owner neglect or abuse of the vehicle. The engine shouldnt fail for a 3 year old car with 37,000 miles on it and no neglect. Its a manufacturers issue. This vehicle is my daughters college transportation. Thank God she wasnt rear ended when the car stalled and wouldnt restart.
Steering, Power train, Other or unspecified, Dec 6, 2021
Car shuts down after seeing "service shifter"
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 3, 2021
Engine stall, shuts down while driving
Steering, Power train, Engine, Nov 26, 2021
Coming to a stop at a stop sign and the dash made a ding followed by the engine light coming on, the shifter went into park on its own, the display stated “Shift to park and then select desired gear”, lights flashed on the shifter console. Unable to drive I had to restart more than once. Car barely restarted before I was able to shift again and continue home.
Power train, Electrical system, Nov 25, 2021
The other day yet again, a “service shifter” error showed up on my jeeps dashboard shortly after I started to the vehicle. The error showed on the dash and all of the lights on my shifter turned solid red. This is a big safety issue and seems as if there could be some electrical or power train components malfunctioning internally in my Jeep. After turning the car of and then on again, the error did not come back on. This happens repeatedly every few months or so and is very concerning. I took it to my hero dealer and they stated they could find any faulty codes when running diagnostics and they was nothing they can do. This issue needs to be addressed with Jeep and a recalled needs to be issued immediately before this leads to serious malfunctioning while operating.
Air bags, Nov 23, 2021, crash
Driving on Hwy 156 close to hanston city , Kansas a deer came out of nowhere and hit my car , as soon I hit the deer it hit the front of the keep, it lost power immediately, it was still running slowly and temperature on the dashboard said 186, all lights in the dashboard where red, smoke was coming out and I keep driving it till i find a dirt road. No airbags dispatched, there was oil and smoke all the time .
Power train, Electrical system, Nov 17, 2021
All of the lights came on on the shifter while driving and the dash warning stated there was a shifter problem. The check engine light was also illuminated. This issue put my child's safety at risk as she had to pull over on the side of the interstate not knowing if the car would continue to operate in drive. The car had previous problems that resulted in a sudden engine stall making her fear it was too risky to continue to drive. This problem is not rare, and Jeep should be required to fix it.
Electrical system, Nov 10, 2021
I HAVE ONLY HAD MY CAR 3 YEARS AND MY CAR IS ASKING FOR A SHIFTER SERVICE. THE 4 LIGHTS TURN ON. MY CAR SHUTS OFF WHEN I DRIVE AND MESSAGE SAID IT WENT FROM DRIVE TO PARK AND SHUTS OFF. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT JUST SHUTS OFF WHEN I AM DRIVING. IT CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE LET THE DEALER SHIP KNOW OF THE ISSUE. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A DEFECT. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT AND I SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. I HAVE NEVER HAD AN ISSUE WITH A SHIFTER AND ITS ONLY BEEN 3 YEARS THAT I HAD MY CAR. I ONLY HAVE 60,088 MILES. THIS STARTED ABOUT A MONTH AGO.
Other or unspecified, Nov 10, 2021
Driving down the highway the sunroof on our 2018 Jeep Cherokee exploded.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Nov 7, 2021
A message stating service shifter continues to come up and car has now started to stop/stall in the middle of driving now. Car dealership has no clue what it is and I am seeing online many others having the same issue. Very dangerous when the car just starts to stop out of nowhere even without the message not on as it can cause accidents.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 3, 2021
The parking brake pops on when I'm driving done the road!!! Often times when I start my car and put my car in Reverse or Drive and remove my foot from the brake the parking brake pops on and I start sliding down the road until my car stops!!! The major issue is when I was driving down a HWY at 37MPH no on coming traffic or no traffic behind me thankfully my parking brake engages and I fly into the steering wheel with a seat belt on and thankfully my 5 year old was fully bucked into his car seat and left unharmed!!! Although what if my Jeep does this with other vehicles around??? It's a super big safety and hazard!!! I won't ever purchase another Jeep!!
Other or unspecified, Oct 20, 2021
Sunroof exploded driving down interstate 54 East out of Jefferson City MO. No objects struck the sunroof. Sunroof was closed at the time of the incident fortunately, if it had been open passengers in the vehicle were likely to be harmed by this failure. It was a sunny afternoon around 70 degrees outside. Vehicle has 45k miles on it and is in good condition otherwise. Vehicle has been returned to the dealer for repair. I will be contacting Chrysler regarding the incident.
Other or unspecified, Oct 18, 2021
Unknown, my vehicle keeps cutting off in the middle of driving. It's a safety Hazzard to me and everyone else.
Power train, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Oct 15, 2021
Twice so far on this particular Jeep, all of the lights on the shifter light up and on the display above the steering wheel it displays the message “Service Shifter”. The issue will go away once the Jeep is shut off and turned back on. I have researched this online and a ton of people are having the same exact issue with low mileage. This needs resolved ASAP. I would hate to see what happens if we’re driving or to get left stranded somewhere.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Oct 12, 2021
While driving, all lights on gear shifter all light up and message on screen will say shifter needs service. Stays on while driving. Typically occurs at night. When I start the vehicle the next morning the light isn’t on.
Other or unspecified, Oct 9, 2021
A warning came on to service the shifter.This has happened several times. I just learned how to report it.
Engine, Oct 6, 2021
In two instances, I have been driving my car and the car dies. Both times there was no oil. I take my car for regular servicing and oil changes and have also taken it to the dealership as I felt it was burning oil too rapidly. They determined there was no issue but I am having to put 3+ quarts every 3000-5000 miles even with oil changes. But when the oil is low there is no indication and the car will die WHILE DRIVING.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 28, 2021
When driving, car completely turns off with no warning. No icons are lit to possibly tell of issue. Car has done this numerous times
Power train, Sep 17, 2021
After backing out of a parking spot, I received a "service shifter" warning on my instrument panel and all the indicator lights on my shifter illuminated. After turning the car off and back on, the warning went away but reappeared mid-drive a day later. Concerned that my car may not be fully in gear, or that it might slip out of gear, I made an appointment with my dealership. After inspection, they confirmed that there was an intermittent short in the shifter and it would need to be replaced. Through my own independent research, I found countless reports of the same issue in this vehicle, which the dealership confirmed to me that it is a common problem they are aware of. If this is a common problem, and consumers are forced to spend thousands to repair the issue on relatively low mileage vehicles, it seems to me that a recall may be in order.
Power train, Sep 17, 2021
I keep getting a service shifter warning.